“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Corinthians 1:19 Mean?
Paul defends the consistency of his message and the character of the God behind it: "the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us... was not yea and nay, but in him was yea." Christ isn't a mixed message. He's not yes today and no tomorrow. He's not reliable in one promise and unreliable in the next. In Him is yes—affirmative, consistent, trustworthy.
The context is Paul defending himself against charges of fickleness—the Corinthians accused him of changing his travel plans and therefore being unreliable. Paul responds by elevating the discussion: my plans may have changed, but the Christ I preached hasn't. The messenger may adapt his schedule. The message never wavers. The Son of God is yea—permanently, consistently, unchangeably affirmative.
The next verse (20) extends the principle: "all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen." Every promise God has ever made finds its yes in Christ. Not some promises. All. Christ is the affirmative answer to the entire catalog of divine promises. When God says something, Christ says yes. When God promises something, Christ is the fulfillment.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Which of God's promises have you been questioning—wondering if it's still 'yea' or has become 'nay'?
- 2.If all God's promises are yes in Christ, which promise do you need to claim with fresh confidence today?
- 3.Have you confused a messenger's inconsistency with God's inconsistency? How do you separate the two?
- 4.In a world of mixed messages, what does the unshakeable 'yea' of Christ mean for your sense of security?
Devotional
"In him was yea." Not yea and nay. Not yes today, no tomorrow. Not reliable on Tuesdays but unpredictable on Thursdays. In Christ: yea. Affirmative. Consistent. Every time. The Son of God doesn't waver between promises and withdrawals. He's yes, all the way down.
Paul needed to make this point because the Corinthians were questioning his reliability based on changed travel plans. Paul essentially says: you're confusing my flexibility with God's consistency. My schedule adapts. Christ doesn't. The Christ I preached to you is the same Christ I'd preach if I came today, tomorrow, or never came again. The message isn't dependent on the messenger's itinerary.
The application reaches far beyond Paul's travel plans: every promise God has made is yes in Christ. Not might be. Not hopefully. Is. The promise of forgiveness? Yes in Christ. The promise of eternal life? Yes in Christ. The promise of presence, provision, protection, resurrection? Yes, yes, yes, yes. In Him. All affirmative. All reliable. All backed by the same yea that has never been nay.
If you've been waiting for a promise to become yes—if you've been holding onto something God said and wondering whether it's still reliable—the answer is in Christ. God's promises don't expire. They don't become nay after being yea. They find their yes in the Son, and the Son hasn't changed. Whatever God promised you through His word is still yea. In Him. Permanently.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,.... The apostle having asserted that the Gospel preached by them was not yea and nay,…
For the Son of God - In this verse, and the following, Paul states that he felt himself bound to maintain the strictest…
For the Son of God, etc. - If I could have changed my purpose through carnal or secular interests then I must have had…
The apostle here vindicates himself from the imputation of levity and inconstancy, in that he did not hold his purpose…
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ St Paul now labours to impress the Corinthians with the weight of the commission with…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture